ALAN Curbishley would be happy if his West Ham side finished 10th in the Premier League this season - but admits he had hoped to secure a better position.
Before 2007/08 began, Curbishley claimed he would accept a "nice, solid season" after escaping relegation to the Coca-Cola Championship on the final day of last term.
But, after spending more than £30million in the transfer market last summer, the Hammers boss secretly held out hopes of securing a top-six finish and a place in next year's UEFA Cup.
However, a horrendous injury crisis that left Curbishley without big-money signings Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Julien Faubert and a host of other stars meant the manager had to re-assess his expectations.
And, having occupied 10th spot since last November, the 50-year-old admitted he would be content to end the season tucked just inside the top-half of the table.
"I think Harry (Redknapp) said it the other day that any team finishing in the top 10 is a result in the Premier League and shouldn't be sniffed at and you've got to go for it," he said.
"We've been in this position for so long and even now with the run we've had we've got to capitalise on that.
"The run we've had has enabled one or two teams to come up behind us but a result would enable us to pull away again."
And with injuries curtailing his plans for an assault on the European places this term, Curbishley is now eyeing a positive start to 2008/09.
"It's very difficult for me to say that being mid-table is a good or bad thing. Just ask some of the teams down the bottom," he added.
"But it's given us a chance to strike at some of the teams above us and we haven't took it and we've got five games left to try and do that."
"I said 'Let's have a nice solid season and see where it takes us' but I was hoping for a bit more than being mid-table, I must admit.
"With what we did pre-season and the way it was looking in the summer I was looking for a bit more than mid-table.
"I did say I'd like to have a solid season and we'd produce some football and it would give us a bit of a foundation for next year - that's what I was basically after - and to be on the back pages for the right reasons instead of the reasons we were on them last year.
"We've got five more games to see if we can push higher up the league and we'll see where we go fromt there."
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